Workers rushed out of their shops in Pentonville Road after gas leak

Photos of armed police at the leak on Saturday afternoon Photo: Simon Lamrock

ARMED police officers rushed workers out of their shops on Saturday following a gas leak which brought traffic to a standstill.

A stretch of Pentonville Road by King’s Cross station remained cordoned off today (Monday) following the leak from a Victorian gas main under the road.

“When we opened the doors the smell of gas was horrendous on Saturday morning,” said Daniel Lee, a worker at House of Vapes which sits opposite the leak.

“There were crazy gas masked people measuring the air quality on Saturday. The effect on business has been very very bad too,” he added.

Another worker at the shop which specialises in selling electronic cigarettes said he had first noticed the smell of gas on Friday.

Officers from the British Transport Police were called to King’s Cross Station at 12.45pm on Saturday following reports of a leak in the area.

Their cordon was lifted three hours later after emergency works were carried out by gas distribution company Cadent Gas.
The road remained closed to traffic and Euston Road was one lane only for most of the weekend causing long queues.

Betting shop Paddy Power and cafe Pompidou were also evacuated on Saturday.

Karim Billache, the owner of Pompidou, said: “The evacuation was so sudden and a bit dramatic. We had to close the shop for a couple of hours and I don’t know if I am getting compensation for lost business.”

A spokesman for Cadent Gas said the gas main had been repaired and the road would be opened as “soon as possible”.
He said today (Monday): “A road closure remains in place in Pentonville Road at the junctions with A5200 and A5203, near Kings Cross Station, to allow reinstatement of excavations and the road surface to be complete. We’re sorry for any inconvenience people may be experiencing as a result.”